Hard to believe 2023 is almost over. Happily, our mild early winter weeks have helped buoy spirits here at Ranch 61, as everyone has had to take on more work than they should while the barn owner recovers from two joint replacements in three months. (Kind of inconsiderate, wouldn’t you say?)
An owner away from the barn for weeks at a time has meant more hours and many double shifts for endlessly patient barn manager Ellen. It has also meant weeks of very early mornings for Michael, who has had to feed, turnout and clean before dawn and after work, despite not having exactly signed up for all this two years ago, when he and his pre-joint-replacement partner first looked out across the then-verdant fields of Ranch 61 before there were any horses on them, and said, “Sure, I could live here—just as long as the Internet’s fast.” (Oops again—Maybe fiber, or even just Spectrum, will make it out here next year?)
Fast-forward two years. Those verdant pastures are now almost entirely mud, and they’re dotted with half-ton animals that require hours of care morning and night, 365 days a year. Happily, Michael has become a master horse handler (And also manure shoveler, arena dragger, fence fixer, horse wormer, etc., etc.). He’s also weirdly skilled at getting difficult horses onto trailers. (“I don’t know enough to know to be worried about it,” he said the last time he easily loaded a problem horse before his owner even had a chance to escalate tensions with preemptive nervousness.)
Thanks also to our five wonderful horse moms who have all pitched in by cleaning stalls, moving horses, checking for barn cats and closing things down for the night without even being asked. These committed horse moms have also done an awesome job of keeping the barn owner up on barn events and horse antics—some even involving non-off-track thoroughbreds!
Like a few of the girls here at Ranch 61, Blondie, who can come and go from her stall while on turnout, likes to save her business for inside the stall. Why not, when it means more bonding time with the barn manager?!
Which is not to say we don’t adore Ranch 61’s two resident thoroughbreds, Scout and William, who, despite their tendency to keep the excitement levels high here at Ranch 61, are also among the biggest sweethearts in the barn.
(Video by his mom Ellen.)
Regardless of breed, there’s never a dull moment when you’re working with horses. But horse people know that whatever crap they leave you to clean up, horses more than make up for it in pure personality and, in some cases, sheer terror.
Although we horse folks may curse the excitement in the moment, we all know it’s the exciting times that build our skills and confidence, making us better riders and people. (And also prematurely wearing out the hip and knee joints of those of us who’ve taken a few too many falls!) Whether horse-related or not, keep safety your top priority this festive season.
Happy holidays from the Ranch 61 family! Here’s to a healthy 2024 with less down time, more good weather—and (for Michael) maybe even fiber Internet.
—SK
Ranch 61 